VP's Corner - Mike Esmond

The Animal Law Committee established the Faith Orlowski Animal Law Award this year to honor Faith’s commitment to animals and her willingness to volunteer her time and skills to advance their welfare. It is presented to a law student member of theTCBAwho is committed to advancing the welfare of animals.

This year, the award goes to Paige Lovoi. Paige is a third-year law student at the University of Tulsa. She discovered her love for animals at a young age. Paige’s mom would say that wherever they went, animals would flock to Paige. Paige is a selfproclaimed cat person who has ended up with four unruly street dogs.

At a TU College of Law Paw Law meeting in herfirstyearoflawschool,Paigelearnedaboutaunique pet foster program, Pause4Paws. With experience as a former social worker for the State of Oklahoma, she was immediately drawn to this program that provides short term pet foster care for people struggling with homelessness, mental illness, or addiction so they can get the urgent medical, mental health, or addiction treatment they need without having to abandon their pets. She feels deeply for animals and the people who love them and decided to become a Pause4Paws pet foster parent. When struggling individuals need inpatient care but don’t want to leave their animals, Pause4Paws steps in and finds temporary foster homes and veterinary care for the animals. Paige has been one of Pause4Paws’go-to foster moms because she poured love onto the most difficult foster pets, as well as her own pets, even as she labored away in law school. It is in fact, caring for her animals that has helped during the most challenging times.

Paige combines her love for animals with her budding legal career. In addition to taking law school classes, fostering pets, and caring for her own animals, Paige served as the 2020-2021 President of TU’s Paw Law, a law student group that is affiliated with the Animal Legal Defense Fund and shares its mission to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. Like Faith, Paige’s willingness to volunteer her time and talent to advance the welfare of animals in every area of her life is a big part of who she is.

WeknowthatFaithwould be pleased that Paige Lovoi is the first recipient of the Faith OrlowskiAnimal LawAward.